Post by magnum on Jan 29, 2021 20:37:45 GMT
Introduction
RadarBox is a flight tracking company that displays aircraft & flight information in real-time on a map. RadarBox offers flight data such as latitude and longitude positions, origins and destinations, flight numbers, aircraft types, altitudes, headings and speeds. Based in Tampa, Florida, with a R&D center in Europe, RadarBox’s business operations include providing related data to aviation service providers worldwide.
Along with flight tracking, the website also displays arrival & departure information and historical flight data. Data is aggregated from 8 different sources such as ADS-B, FAA SWIM, MLAT and ADS-C. A large network of volunteer feeders in all parts of the world feed ADS-B data using ground receivers provided by RadarBox. As of January 2020, the company has over 15,000 feeders who actively feed data to the website.
Flight Tracking – On the Ground
Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) tracking is a modern flight tracking system wherein the electronic equipment onboard an aircraft automatically broadcasts the aircraft’s location other flight related data to ground receivers via radio waves.
The data transmitted to ground receivers can then be used by other aircraft and air traffic control to show the aircraft’s position and altitude on display screens without the need for radar.
The system involves an aircraft with ADS-B determining its position using GPS. A transmitter (also called Transponder) then broadcasts that position at rapid periodic intervals, along with aircraft identity, altitude, speed and other data. Dedicated ADS-B grounds stations (or ADS-B Receivers) receive the broadcasts and relay the information to RadarBox’s servers which then process and display this data at www.RadarBox.com. Most of these ground stations consist of receivers that RadarBox sends volunteers, free of charge.
ADS-B is based on the line of sight principle, so coverage area primarily depends on the antenna – how it is placed, where it is placed, and obstructions like buildings, mountains etc. around the antenna. The average range of a typical feeder’s antenna is 100-200 nautical miles (NM).
Tracking flights over the ocean is a challenging task as receivers cannot be placed in the ocean. Fortunately, RadarBox has a network of feeders living in coastal regions and on islands such as the Azores, Iceland, Fiji, etc. This helps us track flights at least 100-200 NM off a coast. Our new satellite tracking solution, scheduled to be released in 2018/2019, will solve this problem.
All aircraft equipped with an ADS-B out transponder are tracked. Military and selectively blocked aircraft are also tracked but are not displayed to the public.
Flight Tracking – From Space
Satellite ADS-B is one of the newest innovations in the industry, as it allows tracking of aircraft over extremely tough terrain, wide expanses of water bodies, and in places where ground-based ADS-B systems simply cannot get through.
AirNav Systems’ Satellite ADS-B network uses data from receivers that are placed on nano-satellite constellations in space to carry out tracking, thereby enabling non-stop global air traffic surveillance regardless of terrain, location or infrastructure. Tracking is unaffected by weather or other natural phenomenon. Aircraft are not required to have any special equipment on board their aircraft or fleet other than an ADS-B out transponder.
By complimenting the existing ground based ADS-B network, space based ADS-B will be able to provide a more complete picture to the users on the ground. Moreover, aircraft are not required to have any special equipment on board their aircraft or fleet other than an ADS-B out transponder.
